


Uncovering Red

by Grace_Kelly



Category: The Blacklist (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Lizzington - Freeform, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:28:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27714769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grace_Kelly/pseuds/Grace_Kelly
Summary: It is a long journey full of trials, danger, romance, love, sex, loyalty, and new criminals from the blacklist. Will Red and Liz overcome it all and be together, or will their circumstances forever separate them?
Relationships: Elizabeth Keen & Raymond Reddington, Elizabeth Keen/Raymond Reddington
Comments: 26
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story, don't judge me harshly. There's never been a Tom or Agnes. I don't have a blacklist, I just put my fantasy on paper. I want to say thank you to DanielDavies1978 for inspiring me to publish this story. And my beta reader Jennifer, who helps me with this story.

Liz opened the door to her apartment and turned on the hallway light.

"Come and make yourself comfortable," she said to Ryan. "I'll go make some coffee."

He smiled at her and closed the door behind him. Liz went into the kitchen, put her keys and phone on the counter, and started making coffee. Suddenly, she heard a text message and picked up the phone. Ressler texted her that Cooper would be waiting for them in his office at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

"Your apartment is beautiful, Liz," she heard Ryan say from behind her.

"Thank you," she said, turning around and suddenly froze with the phone in her hand.

Ryan was standing in front of her, holding a silenced pistol pointed at her.

"Ryan, what are you.... "

" Shut up.... "he shouted . He didn't seem as cute as before. His face was fixed in an angry scowl. How had he changed so suddenly?

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this..." the next thing she heard was the trigger being raised and she felt a terrible pain in her left shoulder.

She fell to the floor, dropping the phone from her hand. She heard Ryan walk slowly toward her, and he leaned over her and stroked her hair.

"It was nice to meet you agent Keen..."

Liz felt a pool of blood spreading beneath her. Her first thought was why he wanted her to bleed out. Why would he want her to suffer? Why not just kill her right then and there? Through her half-closed eyes, she saw him leave. The only thing she could do now was try to reach for the phone. Through a terrible pain in her shoulder, she made it to her phone on the floor and called the first number in the contact list...

_____________________________________________________________________

_Two weeks before_

Elizabeth Keen entered her apartment after a long day at work. This morning, she and her team returned from Philadelphia, where they were working on a serial killer case.

After getting off the plane, she immediately went to the office to compile a report on the work done, which took her a long 5 hours. She once again had to describe in detail the victims of a serial killer, the suspects in the case, the methods used by the team, the scheme of detention, and so much more. Reporting was an integral part of her job, but today it was more difficult than ever. She felt completely drained. Focusing on such cruelty took its emotional toll. 

Liz left her keys, purse, and gun in the hallway and walked into the living room. She turned on the lights and TV to create some kind of sound background and went to the refrigerator to get something to eat. She wasn’t even hungry; but she knew she had to at least try to get something in her stomach after her tiring day. Taking out some ham and cheese, she made some sandwiches and poured hot tea, eager for the comfort that it would provide, then returned to the living room and collapsed on the sofa. On the screen, there was an evening show with another celebrity who was talking about her success. Liz didn't even listen to the story, just ate silently and watched the screen. It had been a really long day... She was jolted from her thoughts by a sudden knock on the door. She looked at her watch in surprise; it was almost half past eight. No one came to see her at this time of night.

She got up from the sofa and went to the front door. Picking up the gun, she looked through the peephole and saw a courier standing with a bouquet of flowers. She sighed, put the gun away, and opened the door.

"Miss Keen?" the courier asked.

"That's the one," Liz said wearily.

"This is from Nick..." he handed her a bouquet of white roses and a small box.

Elizabeth took his things and said thank you and closed the door. She put the flowers on the kitchen table and opened the box, revealing a glass figure of a green elephant, neatly wrapped in cloth. She twirled it between her fingers and shook her head with a slight smile. There was a note in the box, and when Liz opened it, it was just one sentence:

_**"Congratulations on another solved case."** _

She didn't even have to guess who sent the gift. Every time Elizabeth finished a case she was working on, he sent her a bouquet of flowers and a glass animal figurine that she collected. She put the flowers in a vase, went to the mantelpiece, and placed the figurine next to the others he had given her.

Liz picked up the phone and, despite the late hour, dialed a familiar number. He answered after the first ring.

"Hello Lizzie, I hope everything is alright," a deep male voice came from the other end.

"As always, I wanted to say thank you for the gift and flowers."

She sat down wearily on the sofa and closed her eyes.

"What kind of collection would it be if we couldn’t add to it?"

Elizabeth heard voices in the background. Red must have been in the middle of something.

"Sorry, I know you’re busy... I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll see you later."

“You're never a distraction, sweetheart. I have a meeting, but tomorrow I'm flying back to Washington. Let’s meet tomorrow at 12 in that coffee shop on K Street. I have something to share with you"

"I have no doubt" Elizabeth said wearily, but a part of her was already looking forward to tomorrow's meeting.

"You're tired, dear. Take a shower and sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Lizzie "

"Good night, Red ... "

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Raymond" Red " Reddington appeared in the life of Elizabeth Keen just over a year ago and from that moment her life was turned upside down. She was an FBI agent and worked in the Profiler division that investigated the most complex crimes across the country.

Her job, as well as that of her team, was to create the right profile of the criminal and help them find and capture him. She has been doing this for almost 4 years, and recently she moved to the secret Department of the FBI. But last year, Raymond Reddington, 4th on the FBI's most wanted list and the Concierge of Crime, as he was called, didn't break into her life.

He showed up at the main office of the FBI and said that he has a so-called "Blacklist" of criminals, but he will only give their names to her. And from that moment on, the FBI stopped trusting her. She passed what seemed like a million tests ranging from psychological tests to a lie detector test. Each time, she tried to prove that she didn't know him and had never met him before.

At first she went mad. She didn't trust him. He was a criminal, a traitor and a murderer. But over time, Liz, unbeknownst to herself, began to change her mind about Red. Pricks of doubt about his formidable reputation gnawed at her. He had risked his life for her over and over again, helped her with her investigations so many times, and was always there when it was necessary. Liz had no choice but to give him a chance and try to see the real Red.

As the months passed, they began to spend time more together. It was all related to the cases they were working on, but that didn't stop Liz from enjoying the time. They could drink coffee or sit in the park or even have dinner together in some cozy restaurant where Red always seemed to know someone. But what has always remained the same is flowers and a gift after each solved case.

The coffee shop on K Street, in Elizabeth's opinion, was the best on the entire east coast, and this is taking into account the fact that she was not a coffee lover by nature. She usually preferred a cup of fresh tea to help her wake up and ready her for the day. But when she wanted something special, the choice always fell on this coffee shop. She told Red about it once, and since then, if he bought her coffee, it was only from this coffee shop.

At exactly 12 o'clock, she walked into the room and saw Red at the table in the far back corner, reading the newspaper. Dembe was sitting at the next table, watching the door. When she entered, he looked up and gave her a friendly smile, and Liz smiled back and nodded as she continued toward Red's table. When he saw her, he got up from his seat and motioned for her to sit down.

"Hello, Lizzie," Red said with a friendly smile.

As always, he was dressed in an immaculate gray three-piece suit and dark gray tie.

"I ordered you a Viennese coffee and an eclair.” He waved his hand and a minute later Liz had a cup of coffee and dessert in front of her.

"Thank you, but I'm not in the mood for sweets today," she grimaced.

"Eat, Lizzie. When you're low on blood sugar, you get irritable."

"Have you noticed that sometimes you are too bossy?" Liz replied irritably, taking a bite of eclair. She closed her eyes in delight. It was so delicious, like a slice of heaven, that Liz groaned out loud.

She opened her eyes and looked at Red, who was staring at her mouth, biting the inside of his cheek. When he saw her looking at him, Red cleared his throat and reached for the folder on the table next to him.

"We have a new case, Lizzie." Liz wiped her hands on a napkin and took the folder from his hands as she studied the papers.

"They call him 'The Writer', they call him people who want to get a new life....."

"Usually these people are found sooner or later," Liz commented.

"Usually these people don't turn to The Writer," he continued, taking a sip of coffee. "His usual clients are politicians, businessmen, crime bosses."

"That is, people who have money."

"Big money, sweetheart. His services are worth a lot of money, because he not only writes his stories but also brings them to life"

Liz looked at Red incredulously. They had worked together long enough that she knew that if he gave her that name, then he needed this person for something.

"Why do you need it, Red?"

"I found out that he was approached by someone who really needs to be found. "

" And?... " asked Liz impatiently.

"And that's all you need to know" Red smiled warmly at her "Come on Lizzie, have fun, we have a new case, number 154 on the blacklist... "


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There won't be much Red in this chapter, but it's necessary for further development of the story. I promise that the next chapter will be entirely dedicated to our beloved Red and Liz.

Liz got into her car the next morning to go to work. She had only managed to drive a few blocks when her phone rang. Samar's number appeared on the screen.

"Good morning... "

" Liz, help... " came Samar's worried voice from the other end.

Elizabeth tensed, images of what might have happened flashing through her mind. Samar was surely captured or injured…

"What happened?" Liz asked, with her voice high in tension.

"I'm late for work! Can you stop by and buy me a coffee at that coffee shop you told me about?"

"You’re what? I thought something really happened," she replied irritably.

In the background, a man's voice said, _"Samar, baby, where are you going in such a hurry? Stay! I'm not done with you yet."_

Liz rolled her eyes, and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I understand, don't tell me. What would you like me to bring?”

"Americano with milk. Thank you! I'm in your debt.”

"Don't even doubt it.”

Liz hung up and turned toward the coffee shop. There was a short line at the counter as she entered. Great—just great. Samar seems to want more than for just her to be late for work today. At least she had a good reason to be late, Liz thought enviously. She had forgotten the last time she'd been on a date. It was probably in a previous life, because with a new job, it was impossible to find time for a social life, and having Reddington around was very distracting. Every time she tried to even flirt with someone, he immediately appeared next to her, criticizing her choice or finding her some compromising information about her chosen one. After that, the desire to meet someone was not a priority anymore. It’s fine, but it’s lonely.

While she was having a mental dialogue with herself, it was suddenly her turn. Liz ordered two coffees and turned to leave the coffee shop when she bumped into someone at the exit. She looked up and saw a tall, handsome, blonde man with large green eyes. He looked at her anxiously for coffee spilled on her clothes.

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry…” he began to apologize. "I'll pay for another coffee."

"No, it's alright. Don’t worry about it. Accidents happen, right?"

But he didn't back down.

"Sorry, I'm so clumsy today." he smiled apologetically at Liz, looking into her eyes. “I'm Ryan, by the way."

He reached out to shake her hand.

"Elizabeth," she smiled back at him. She couldn’t help but to notice his flushed cheeks. He was obviously mortified, but she couldn’t help but notice that he was incredibly good looking.

"Nice to meet you."

“Nice to meet you, too. Look, I'm sorry, but I have to run. I'm in a hurry to get to work," Liz tried to go to the door, but he touched her elbow.

"Maybe I can see you again?" he asked with a hopeful look in his eye.

"Maybe." Liz said coyly as she opened the door. . As she was leaving, she turned back toward Ryan and threw him just one sentence. "I usually come here on Wednesdays and Fridays."

As she got into the car, she felt rushed to get to the Post Office, but then she stopped and admitted to herself that she needed this. She needed something to look forward to, and for now it was the prospect of coffee with Ryan. She hoped to see him on Friday.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"So, according to Reddington, we're looking for The Writer. This is someone who makes new identities and new lives for those who want to disappear.”

Liz presented the information that Red gave her for the task force.

"And we're looking for him, why?" Ressler asked.

"Reddington believes that he is helping in this way to hide particularly dangerous criminals who continue their work under an assumed identity. "

"Do you have any leads on how to find him?" asked Samar.

"Remember the recent accident with Senator Davis?" Liz turned to Aram. “Aram, next slide please"

Aram switched the slide and a photo of the terrible accident appeared on the screen.

"Are you saying, Agent Keen, that it wasn't an accident?" Cooper asked.

"At least that's what Reddington says,"Liz replied.

"Then let's start with his inner circle. Aram, find out everything you can about his family. Samar, talk to the investigator who handled this case. Keen, Ressler, as soon as you get the information from Aram, go to the family and find out everything you can.”

Cooper walked back to his office, and Liz and Ressler were on their way to the car 15 minutes later to visit the former Senator's widow. The drive to her house was quiet, and at one point Liz got tired of it and turned to Ressler, who was driving.

“What’s the problem, Ress?” Liz asked irritably.

"What makes you think something's going on?" he answered without taking his eyes off the road. 

"You look like you've swallowed a lemon since the Post Office. What's wrong?" 

"Nothing special except that I'm tired of being Reddington's bloodhound.”

"I don't understand you" Liz stared at him strangely. "He's helping us catch criminals. How many have we caught this year? When did this Department have such a high solve rate?”

"Come on, Liz, really? Helps us catch criminals? He's a criminal himself, and he only gives us names because it's good for him. Don't say you don’t already know that."

Liz thought for a moment. It was true that no matter who they were looking for on the blacklist, Reddington always found a way to profit from catching each criminal. She knew Ressler was right, but she suddenly felt defensive of Red. She didn't know where it came from, but she knew it wasn't as simple as it seemed to Ressler.

"I know it looks like that, but... "

"What but, Liz? We all work for Reddington. Everyone has long forgotten when they had their last vacation. I have forgotten when the last time I met someone was, Samar hasn’t slept properly in God knows when, and you left your students at the Academy. It was all because of him. "

Ressler started waving his arms so much that he let go of the steering wheel and almost ran off the road. At the expense of Samar, she could have argued and said that the reason for Samar's poor sleeping habits is most certainly not Reddington, but decided to keep silent. 

"I understand that, but I still think you're overreacting. Thanks to him, we have put a huge number of criminals in prison, some of them we had never even heard of...That..." She tried to explain it to him, but it was too complicated. “Forget it."

Liz waved Ressler off, and with that, the conversation was over. They drove up to the huge white mansion of Senator Davis's widow. As soon as they were out, the door was opened by a tall man in a haystack suit.

"Can I help you?" he asked politely.

"Agents Ressler and Keen" Ressler showed his badge. “We need to see Mrs. Davis.”

The man who must have been the butler motioned them into the house. Liz looked around as the butler led them down the hall to the living room. The house was built in Victorian style and decorated elegantly, matching the exterior. They were shown into a room lavishly accented by dark blue hues. In the middle of the room, a blonde woman around 35 years sat on the sofa casually holding a cup of tea. Next to her lay a small dog that did not even move when Liz and Ressler entered the room.

"Mrs. Davis, FBI agents Keen and Ressler have asked to speak with you,” the butler explained. She looked surprised, but motioned for a seat across from her.

"To what do I owe your visit?" she asked in a deep voice.

"We're here about your husband's death, Mrs. Davis," Liz began.

"My husband died six months ago. All the papers wrote about it," the blonde woman interrupted Liz.

"We know, ma’am. We wanted to ask you about what happened.”

"My husband was heading home when he was involved in a car accident on I95. The doctors said that he was killed instantly. That’s honestly the only thing that helped—to know he didn’t suffer. That's all that happened. Why? Do you think it was an accident? Do you think he was killed?" she looked at Ressler in alarm as her voice faltered.

He and Liz exchanged glances.

"Ma’am, we think that's a possibility," Ressler told her. Suddenly, the Senator's widow did not look as calm as before. She began to tremble and tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she looked at the agents.

"You know something. tell me!” she raised her voice noticeably.

"We're working on a case," Liz said. "If you know anything, please contact us at this number." She handed Mrs. Davis a business card and looked at Ressler, who immediately took her hint and got up from his seat.

"Ma’am, please, if you remember anything, no matter how small, be sure to contact us.”

"Of course, agents. Thank you."

Liz and Ressler left the dazed widow alone in the room and headed for the car. As they drove away from the house, Liz was the first to speak.

"Do you think she knows something?"

"You mean, does she know that her husband might be alive? I'm not sure yet, but I think we need to dig deeper into this case, and maybe even track her."

"Do you think he can keep in touch with her? "

"Why not? She seemed agitated when she heard about her husband? "

"Maybe she was worried that he might have been killed."

"Maybe, or maybe she knows more than she's letting on. We need to find out what Samar found out"

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As Samar told them later after talking to the investigator, the Senator was killed in a car accident. Apparently, he lost control and the car and crashed into a tree. There was nothing criminal in the case. The only strange thing was that according to the investigator, the body was mangled beyond recognition, which resulted in a closed-casket funeral. Liz spent the next day reading the case file, and continued into the day after.

After poring over the files, she decided to stop by a coffee shop and pick up something for herself and Samar before work. At least that's how she explained it to herself. Her inner voice was laughing at her. She knew damn well that she wasn't going to the coffee shop for any other reason except her desire to meet Ryan again.

When she entered the coffee shop, she surveyed the room. She spotted him in the far back corner, and she could feel her cheeks flush in emancipation of seeing him again. He was oblivious to her arrival. He was intently reading a newspaper. She started to approach him, and as if on cue, he looked up and saw Liz. His eye lit up and he greeted her with a beaming smile. He rose from his seat and waiting for her to arrive at the table.

"Good morning Liz,. I was hoping to see you here today!"

"Good morning, Ryan," she smiled at him in response. "It's nice to see you again."

"Will you join me?" he motioned her to the table.

Liz glanced at her watch, knowing that if she stayed, she would be late for work...but she pushed her hair back and went to the table.

"I'll get you some coffee.”

Just a moment later they were sitting at the table, and she was surprised that he got her order right.

"How did you know I was drinking a latte?"

"I saw the label on your cup when we met last time," he replied confidently. "So tell me about yourself, Elizabeth. What do you do for a living?"

"You can call me Liz and I'm an FBI agent," she looked at him with a wince in anticipation of his reaction. Working for the FBI doesn’t always bode well for light conversation.

"What? "You think I'm going to jump out of my chair and run away screaming?” Ryan chuckled.

"Yeah, actually. I halfway expected something like that,"Liz answered honestly. “A lot of people don't exactly feel comfortable when I tell them what I do.”

"It's probably because you have a gun," he laughed again.

"Maybe I...." she was interrupted by the phone ringing. Liz glanced at the screen and saw "Nick's Pizza” show up on caller ID. She hit the end button and turned her attention to Ryan. The phone rang again and the same name appeared on the screen. Liz declined the call again, turned off the sound, and put the phone in her purse.

"Is that your boss trying to reach out?"

"No...this is my...uncle. He's a very annoying man who keeps poking his nose into other people's business. Please disregard. So, what do you do, Ryan, in addition to meeting strangers in coffee shops?” Liz smiled as she tried to keep the conversation light. 

"You got my main hobby down, but for work, I'm actually a criminal defense lawyer. "

"So we have something in common."

"Yes, I'm putting the assholes you catch in jail."

"We're doing a good job," Liz nodded.

She heard the phone vibrate again and reached into her purse in exasperation. She saw the Samar’s name pop up on the screen.

"Sorry, this is actually work...I need to answer"

"Of course! No worries," he waved his hand and took out his own phone.

"Liz, where are you?" came Samar's exasperated voice on the other end of the line.

"I'm on my way to work"

"Do you know what time it is? Are you all right?" Samar asked, with concern or annoyance, Liz couldn't decipher.

"Yes, I’m fine. Please don't worry. I’m on my way."

“No, it's Reddington who was asking about you. And he is madly annoying everyone here grumbling about your absence."

Liz rolled her eyes.

"Tell him I’m okay and I'm on my way."

"Okay, come quickly."

Liz hung up and looked at Ryan apologetically.

"Sorry, I really have to go. My boss is already asking about me," Liz said dejectedly.

"It's okay. I have to go too. Work never stops," he pointed to his phone. "Can we have dinner? Maybe next Saturday night?"

Liz thought for a moment. It was kind of quick, but what's wrong with a simple dinner?

"Okay! Would 7”00 work.?"

"Great! I can pick you up.”

Liz hesitated at the thought of picking her up. Meeting him here was already out of the ordinary for her; she was not going to start giving her address out to random men.

"Let's meet at the restaurant, if you don't mind," she suggested.

"Sure, how about the Paris on 43rd?"

"Great! I love French food," she smiled, took a napkin and wrote her number. “Here's my number. Just text and let me know if anything comes up."

Then Ryan pulled out his business card and handed it to her.

"And this is mine. I am looking forward to seeing you. I will text to check later."

She got up and picked up her purse, and he got up too.

"It was nice to see you, Liz. "

"It was nice to see you, too, Ryan. See you soon!"

Liz hurriedly got out and got in the car. She was an hour late for work and now she had to come up with an excuse for being so late. And it wasn't so much to Cooper to which she had to justify herself but Reddington. Something told her that he wouldn't soon forget that she hadn't returned his calls.

When Liz entered the post office, she was met by Samar, who warned her that Cooper thought her car had broken down and that was why she was late. After this news, Liz immediately felt better, there was no need to come up with an excuse. She immediately went to the office and when she opened the door, her good mood immediately disappeared. Reddington was sitting across the table from Cooper with his back to her, and he didn't even turn when she entered.

"Agent Keen," Cooper said coolly. "Please have a seat." He pointed to the chair next to Red. "Tell us what you have learned about our case"

Liz walked slowly into the office and saw Dembe standing against the far wall, shaking his head in disapproval. She sat down on the proffered seat and looked at Red.

"I hope the car is all right?" he asked solicitously.

" Yes...Thank you, I managed to sort it out.” She looked into his eyes and saw that he clearly didn't believe her excuse, unlike Cooper.

"I am glad that the problem was resolved, Agent Keen," Cooper said. "So..."

Liz turned her attention to Cooper, even though she could feel Reddington's eyes on her.

"Agent Ressler and I were at the home of Senator Davis's widow. When we asked her about her husband's death, she seemed agitated by the fact that it might not have been an accident. We think we should put her under surveillance, maybe it's not that simple. Samar found out that the family never actually saw his body."

"We can insist on exhumation," Cooper suggested.

"You don't have any reason to,” Red interrupted. “At least not yet, and for as long as I have known Diana," he said cryptically, "I doubt that she will just agree, but I can try to help you convince her."

For some reason, Liz thought there was a subtext to this sentence that she should have read.

"Really? Turn on your charm again and get her to trust you so much that she will do whatever we ask?" Liz said sarcastically.

Red checkled.

"Maybe," he leaned toward her conspiratorially. "Although who told you I haven’t charmed her before?"

Liz snorted and turned away. All the women around Red were crazy about him. I was infuriating! This man had an amazing ability to charm the opposite sex. Even Samar seems to have fallen under his spell, judging by the way they sometimes chatted and laughed sweetly with each other.

"Then, Agent Keen, you keep an eye on Mrs. Davis, and you, Reddington, try to double our chances of exhuming the Senator's body," Cooper concluded.

Liz got up and went to her office without saying goodbye to Reddington. She had just sat down at her desk when the door opened, and Red came in and sat across from her.

She stared at him in silence, not intending to start the conversation first.

"So the car broke down," Red began.

"Yes, the engine didn't start. I had to call a mechanic." Liz replied as calmly as possible.

"You didn't pick up the phone when I called you," Red continued calmly.

"I told you, the car wouldn't start. I was busy "

"I thought something was wrong with you... " Red didn't have time to finish when a message came to Liz's phone. She looked at the screen and saw a text from an unfamiliar contact.

"I can't wait to meet you! Ryan "

"Good news?" Red asked curiously.

"What?" Liz looked at him in surprise.

"I said, good news?” Red casually waved his hand at her phone.

"Hmm...Yes, good news,” Liz replied absently. "Red, did you need something? I have some files I need to work on."

He was silent, and then got up and went to the door, but before he passed the threshold, he turned around and looked back at her.

"Never do that again, Lizzie. If you don't answer, I think something happened to you." He left almost as quickly as he arrived. It was unsettling to Liz, but she snapped out of it when her phone buzzed again. .

"Do you prefer white, pink or red?"

Liz thought about it and replied, "White"

"Excellent," came back a few seconds later.

The Saturday evening: Date Night

She wanted to be fashionably late, so at 7:05, Liz walked into the Paris restaurant, where Ryan was waiting for her. She approached the host.

"Mademoiselle, can I help you?" he said politely to her.

Liz looked around the restaurant and smiled.

"Thank you. I am actually meeting someone. I see him right over there." She pointed to the table where Ryan was sitting.

"Sure," the receptionist smiled, "May I take your coat?"

"Thank you." He helped her shrug off her coat and carried it to the wardrobe while Liz went to the table.

Ryan stood up, smiling with a bouquet of white roses. He handed her the bouquet and kissed her hand.

"I'm very glad you came, Liz."

He said, and offered her a seat across from him.

"Thank you so much for the roses, " Liz said as she took in the restaurant’s atmosphere. It was fancier than she was used to, and she liked it. "This is such a beautiful place."

Ryan smiled again.

"Yes, I know. It’s my favorite restaurant. Do you have any idea what you’ll order?"

She scanned the menu as the server approached their table.

"Are you ready to order yet?" he looked at Liz

She flipped through the menu

"Yes, I'll have a duck breast with a pear, please. And you?" she looked at Ryan.

"And I think I'll have the same thing and a bottle of red Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Tradition Rouge"

At this moment, Liz's phone rang, she looked at the screen and bit her lip.

"Is something wrong?" Ryan asked.

"No it's alright. It's my uncle again. I’m so sorry, but I need to answer it." She excused herself and moved away from the table.

"Oh, you picked up the phone, Lizzie,” she heard the sarcasm in his voice.

"Has something happened, Red?" Liz was trying not to be too terse. "I'm a little busy for small talk right this second."

"I just called to say I'm off for a few days in Madrid and wanted to ask, have you considered the question about the vacation with me?"

"I already told you, Cooper will not let me rest until we have a new blacklister, which we rely on you to provide, in case you forgot."

"You know I can solve this miniscule problem. I'll call Harold right now and we'll be on my plane across the Atlantic in half an hour. It's time for you to rest, Lizzie."

Of course, the prospect of drinking cocktails somewhere by the pool away from work and problems was tempting, but now was not the right time! A beautiful man was waiting for her at the table. A real man who maybe she could date long-term. Who knows, but she wanted to at least find out.

"Thank you, Red, I really do appreciate it, but right now is just not a good time for me," Lizzie sighed.

"Okay, I will respect your decision, even though I don;t agree. You really need to live a little, Lizzie!"

After a beat of two of silence, he added, “Have a nice weekend at least.”

" And you, Red...”

"I will, I promise," Red said warmly, and hung up.

Liz smiled as she walked back to the table where Ryan was waiting for her

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few hours later, the taxi stopped at Liz's house. A few glasses of wine and loads of good conversation helped ease her paranoia about Ruyan knowing her address. She was trying to let her guard down and play it cool.

Ryan helped her out of the car, and as soon as the taxi left, she gasped.

"God, we forgot the bouquet in the taxi," Liz said in frustration.

"Don't worry about the bouquet! I'll get you another one," he smiled.

Liz was silent for a moment, looking at him. She was weighing her options. She knew it was too early to invite him inside her house, but she decided to take the risk. Again--playing it cool.

"Do you want to come inside for coffee?"

Ryan laughed.

"Of course, with pleasure!" He took her hand and they climbed the stairs.

Liz opened the door to her apartment and turned on the hallway light.

"Come in and make yourself at home," she said to Ryan. "I'll go make some coffee."

He smiled at her and closed the door behind him. Liz went to he kitchen, put her keys and phone on the counter, and started making coffee. Suddenly, she heard a text message and picked up the phone. Ressler texted her that Cooper would be waiting for them in his office at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

"Your apartment is beautiful, Liz," she heard Ryan say from behind her.

"Thank you," she said, turning around and suddenly froze with the phone in her hand.

Ryan was standing in front of her, holding a silenced pistol pointed at her.

"Ryan, what are you.... "

" Shut up.... "he shouted . He didn't seem as cute as before. His face was fixed in an angry scowl. How had he changed so suddenly?

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this..." the next thing she heard was the trigger being raised and she felt a terrible pain in her left shoulder.

She fell to the floor, dropping the phone from her hand. She heard Ryan walk slowly toward her, and he leaned over her and stroked her hair.

"It was nice to meet you agent Keen..."

Liz felt a pool of blood spreading beneath her. Her first thought was why he wanted her to bleed out. Why would he want her to suffer? Why not just kill her right then and there? Through her half-closed eyes, she saw him leave. The only thing she could do now was try to reach for the phone. Through a terrible pain in her shoulder, she made it to her phone on the floor and called the first number in the contact list.

She pressed the incoming call button and pressed the last number that called her. She even managed to press the speakerphone button. He answered after the second ring.

"You've changed your mind and are you on your way to my place with a suitcase?" Red replied cheerfully.

"Red..." she whispered.

"Lizzie?" he whispered anxiously. “What's wrong? Where are you?"

"Please help me..." hearing his voice, tears welled up in her eyes.

Is this how it's going to end? Will she die listening to his voice on the other end of the phone call?

"Sweetheart, please say something." He was clearly starting to panic

"Please talk to me," she said softly. "I don't want to die alone."

Liz realized that she was losing consciousness, the blood under her became more and more, and she could see less and less. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear him calling out to her, and he was yelling at Dembe to stop the plane. The last thing she heard was his words.

"Lizzie, please don't go," and she fell into the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Consciousness slowly returned to Liz. She laid with her eyes closed and heard the beeping of the hospital machines. She slowly opened her eyes, trying to get used to the bright white light that surrounded her. Her head was heavy and her vision blurred. She blinked a few times and was able to focus on something black hanging on the wall- the clock. Liz slowly turned her head to the right and saw the closed door of the ward and the curtained glass wall. She then turned her head to the left and saw an IV that was connected to her arm, which was tightly strapped to her torso. She tried to move her arm, but she felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder and groaned. For a few minutes, she didn't understand how she got here or what happened to her, but then... Events flashed through her mind in a second. Her date, Ryan, the shot, Red's voice, and the darkness. Her head ached fiercely, and she tried to figure out how long she'd been here, but it was no use. She didn't even know if it was day or night, because the room had only interior lighting, and the window was tightly closed with curtains. She found the call button with her free hand and pressed it.  
Almost immediately, the door opened and a tall man in a white lab coat walked up to her.

  
" Hello Miss Keen, I'm Dr. Matthews. How are you feeling?" he asked, looking from her to the monitors.

"Like a truck ran over me," Liz said, closing her eyes.

  
"Do you remember your name? "

  
"Elizabeth Keen."

  
"Who do you work for? The doctor continued, examining her pupils.

  
"I’m an FBI Special Agent."

"All right Do you remember what happened to you? "

  
" I was shot. What happened next?" Liz was drawing a blank.

  
"You were brought to us, with a gunshot wound to the chest. The bullet almost grazed the heart. You were rushed into surgery, and the operation lasted 6 hours. You were out due to the anesthesia for a very long time. Now, we will run the necessary tests to make sure everything else is alright. While we get everything prepped, the police will want to ask you just a few questions. They’re waiting in the corridor."

  
Liz protested. She knew the procedures; they will start questioning and asking about all the details. It was the last thing she wanted to do right now.

  
"Can you tell them that I can't answer their questions right now?" Liz pleaded.

  
The doctor looked at her sympathetically and shook his head.  
"I'm sorry, Miss Keen, but you probably know the procedure. If a patient comes to us after a gunshot wound and he is not in danger after the procedures, they must be questioned by the police. This is just procedural. I'm sorry again."

  
At this moment, a nurse came in and began preparing for a blood test. The door opened again and two police officers appeared on the threshold.

  
"Good afternoon, Miss Keen, I'm Detective Rodriguez and this is Detective Beckett," he pointed to the man who was standing next to him. Liz looked at them irritably.

  
"If you'll excuse me, this isn't the best time. I'm getting tests, as you can see," Liz nodded at the nurse, who had already inserted a needle into her vein and winced.

  
"We understand Agent Keen, but the sooner we know who shot you, the sooner we can catch the criminal. You know how important it is not to waste time in such cases," Detective Beckett said to her.

  
"Agent Keen, do you remember who shot you?" Detective Rodriguez asked, opening his notebook and preparing to write.

  
"Yes, it was a man around 35-40 years old, tall, blond"

  
"Do you know him?” the detective continued.

  
"Yes, his name is Ryan. I went out to dinner with him that night," Rodriguez kept writing in his notebook.

  
"What restaurant? What's his last name?" Beckett continued.

  
The nurse left after finishing the tests, and Liz closed her eyes.

  
"The restaurant was called Paris, but I don't remember his last name"

  
"Where does he work? How long have you known him... "Liz felt her head about to explode, tears welling up in her eyes.  
"Detectives, look, I'm really tired and the meds are giving me a headache. Can we continue this conversation later?" Beckett glared at Liz and then at his partner.

  
"Of course, Agent Keen, I will leave my business card, if you remember any additional information, please call us. We will contact you in a few days.” They left the room, closing the door behind them.

  
Liz exhaled. The last thing she wanted to do right now was talk about Ryan and how she'd met him, but she also did not want to admit to herself that she hadn't seen him as a killer. With such thoughts, she finally fell asleep.

*****************************************

It felt like Liz had slept for twenty-four hours, and she woke up with the feeling that someone was in the room. She slowly opened her eyes, and out of the corner of her eye, she realized that someone was sitting in the chair next to the bed. She turned her head sharply and jerked, causing a sharp pain to shoot through her left shoulder. Liz groaned and woke the man who was dozing beside her. The man was no other than Raymond Reddington, who woke up at the same moment and moved towards Liz.  
He reached out and stroked her hair.

  
"Are you in pain?" he was looking at her with such a worried look that she wanted to cry.

  
"No, I’m fine. The pain is already gone for the most part. I just shouldn't make any sudden moves."

  
"Would you like something? "

  
"I'd like a drink of water." Red nodded and took a glass with a straw from the nightstand, raised it to his lips and Liz greedily began to swallow the cool liquid. She didn't realize how dry her throat was.

  
Liz released the tube from her mouth and Red returned the glass to the nightstand. "What time is it?"

  
Red looked down at his watch.

  
"It's almost one o'clock in the morning You've been sleeping for a long time."

  
"How long have you been here?"

  
"Almost 5 hours. I managed to slip past the police who are guarding your room, " he smiled.

  
"I had no doubt that you were...Wait, my room is guarded? "

  
"Yes, apparently the police believe that the one who shot you can come back."

  
Liz tensed at these words, until this moment she did not come up with such a thought, it seemed to her that as long as she was here, in the hospital she was safe.Red stared at the emotions changing on her face for a long time.  
He took her hand again, forcing her to look into his eyes.

  
" Will you tell me what happened?"

  
At that moment, Liz felt tears trickle down her face. She was scared, sad and hurt at the same time. As an FBI agent who calls herself a profiler, she couldn't see Ryan for what he really was - a killer. And even more than she wanted to admit it to Red, Liz was sure that he would give her an “I told you so” with a smug smile that he was always right about her love interests and that none of them could be trusted.

  
She felt Red's warm hand wipe the tears from her cheeks.

  
"Sweetheart, don't cry. It will all be alright. I won't let anything happen to you. You just need to tell me everything."

  
At that moment, Liz turned her head away from Red's touch.

  
"No, forget it.” Red took her chin in his hand and turned her face to his.

  
"You know that if you don't tell me everything, I won't be able to help you. I won't be able to find him," he tried to speak softly and tenderly, as if to a small child, but Liz had already studied Red well enough to understand that real emotions were boiling under this calm facade. Anger and hatred for the person who did this to her.

  
"I know," Liz said, not taking her eyes off Red. "I can't and I don't want to talk about this right now "tears welled up in his eyes again" Please Red "

  
He pursed his lips and his face softened. He clearly decided to postpone this conversation for a more appropriate time.

  
" You need to recover and gain strength"

"Will you stay with me today?" Liz asked hopefully. She was suddenly aware that Red's presence in the room was comforting.

  
"Of course," he smiled. "I will guard your sleep like a loyal knight. Do you need something?"

  
"Yes," Liz frowned. "I need to go to the bathroom"

  
She pushed back the blankets with her good hand and started to get out of bed. Red grabbed her by the arm.

  
"I can help.”

  
Liz didn't like the prospect, and she didn't want Red to help her in the bathroom.

  
"No....I definitely don't think so."

  
But Red had a different opinion about it.

  
"One of your arms is not moving, and the other has an IV stuck in it, how are you going to handle it?" he raised his eyebrows questioningly.

  
And in any other situation, Liz had used his help without hesitation, but not now. It was humiliating to let Raymond Reddington see his own helplessness in such a delicate matter.

  
"Thank you, Red, but I'll try to manage on my own," she said firmly, heading for the bathroom door. Red stepped back and just watched as she slowly made her way through the room. Liz was staggering a little, but she was leaning on the IV.

  
She had almost reached the door when she heard a voice behind her.

  
"You'll fall, but you won't let me help you, just to prove how independent you are?"

  
Liz turned slightly and smiled.

  
"If I fall, you can always save me, but I can pee without the help of Raymond Reddington."

  
It was the first smile on Liz's face since she'd woken up.

*********************************

Liz woke up to sunlight coming through the window of her room. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, and Red was already sitting in the chair next to her bed, reading the newspaper. He looked up and smiled.

  
"Good morning, Lizzie."

  
"Good morning, Red" she smiled back at him. Liz noticed that Red was wearing a different color suit than the one he'd been wearing the night before.

  
"What makes you think that?" asked Red, surprised.

  
"Your costume," Liz nodded in his direction, "When I woke up last night, you were dressed differently"

  
Red smiled at her, warmed by the thought of Liz noticing such a small change in him.

  
"No, Dembe brought me some clothes and breakfast for the two of us." He waved his hand towards the nightstand, where there were bags of food. When Liz saw them, she focused on the smell of fresh baked goods wafting out of the bags. "But perhaps you prefer hospital food? he smiled slyly.

  
"No way," Liz smiled back. "Give me some time in the bathroom and I'll be ready for breakfast."

  
Liz slowly started to get out of bed, and Red got up from the chair and held her hand. She glared at him, then stopped.

  
"What did I tell you, Raymond Reddington, about help?"

  
"That you're so stubborn that I'm only allowed to watch you cope on your own " he stepped back and raised both hands in the air . " I give up "

  
"That's great." Liz walked past him with her head held high, though slowly enough, because the medications she took after the operation slowed her movements a little.

  
When Liz came out of the bath, she saw that two cups were already waiting for her on the hospital table, and judging by the smell, one was with coffee, which clearly belonged to Red, and the second was steaming tea with the smell of lemon. There were croissants, waffles, pancakes, and even bacon. He even brought syrup to the waffles, which was amazing. Liz's eyes glistened at the abundance of food, and she returned to bed as quickly as she could when Red moved the table closer to her so that Liz could eat more comfortably.

  
"Red, this looks really good. Thank you," Liz beamed.

  
Red picked up his coffee and croissant and returned to his chair, watching Liz.

  
"I didn't know what you wanted, so I asked Dembe to take a little bit of everything." Red watched with a smile as Liz picked up a croissant and placed two slices of bacon on top of it and took a happy bite.

  
"Oh, Red, this is divine," Liz tried to say as she chewed. "I don't like sweet things for breakfast, ham and bacon are perfect, as long as the nurses don't see me eating it."

  
"Don't worry about it, sweetheart, no one's coming in here." Red leaned back in his chair and sipped his coffee.

  
"Speaking of which," Liz put down her food and stared at him. "How do you manage to get through security undetected?"

  
“Actually, they've been replaced by agents from your department, and they're letting me through without question, so you don't have to worry," Red reassured her soothingly.

But Liz had doubts. The man immediately noticed the change in her mood.

  
"Lizzie, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

  
"Do you think he'll find me here?"

  
She'd asked herself that the day before, when she'd seen Red by her bed, if he'd been able to get to her so easily, which had prevented Ryan from doing the same. Liz felt the atmosphere in the room change, as it often did in Red's presence. At first you could feel completely calm, and after a minute the air was heated to the limit. One second he could joke and tell another funny story, and the next he could shoot a man without batting an eye.Just a moment ago, he was relaxed and cheerful, and now his face was as serious as ever.

  
"He won't hurt you again, I won't allow it. You know, I'll find him and when I do, he won't bother you again." He stood up and pushed the table further away from her and took Liz's hand.

  
"Lizzie, you need to rest more and gain strength. Please don't think about that bastard anymore. I know how difficult it is, but leave it to me. " He continued to stroke her hand, gazing intently into her eyes.

  
At that moment, the door opened and Harold Cooper and Samar entered the room. Red let go of Liz's hand and took a step away from her.

  
"Elizabeth, good to see you," Cooper smiled at her and handed her the small bouquet he was holding. Liz picked up the bouquet and inhaled the pleasant scent of the flowers.

  
“ I know it's forbidden here, but these are your favorites." Samar handed her a box of candy and Liz smiled even more.  
"Thank you very much, I am very pleased!"

  
"Aram and Ressler wish you a speedy recovery, they are currently working on a case and unfortunately could not come today," Samar said.

"It's okay, I understand. Speaking of business," Liz brightened visibly and looked at Cooper."How is the Writer's case progressing?"

  
"While we continue our surveillance and wait for Reddington to pay a visit to Mrs. Davis."

  
"Don't worry, Harold, as soon as Lizzie's okay, I'll definitely talk to Diane, "Red retorted.

  
“And when can I get back to business?" Liz asked.

  
"Liz, I don't think...." Samar began.

  
Cooper looked at Red, then at Liz.

  
"I think it might be a while, Agent Keen..."

  
"What?" she was angry. Liz turned to Red. "Was that your idea? "

  
" What are you talking about?" Red asked, uncomprehending.

  
"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, "Liz said," I'm sure you've already had a conversation with Cooper about how I shouldn't keep working on this case."

  
"Actually, Lizzie..." Red paused and shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "So it was"

  
" Reddington, " Cooper protested.

  
"She figured it out anyway, Harold. What's the point of hiding it " Red replied indifferently.

  
"Why can't I work?" Liz looked from Cooper to Red.

  
Cooper spoke first.

  
"This isn't about Reddington, Elizabeth. You know the rules. You were injured, you need a period of recovery. You're on sick leave for the next few months, which means you're not taking part in the investigation. Moreover, you will return the badge and the gun, and at the end of the vacation, you will need to pass a psychological examination for admission to work." Cooper spoke as if he had prepared this speech in advance. Although already knowing that they had talked about it with Red earlier, it was probably true.

  
"A few months? A psychological evaluation?" Liz nearly fell into the scream. She looked to Samar for support, but she clearly shared the opinions of the two men in the room. "I didn't kill anyone, I was shot! I don't need a psychologist. I can analyze my own condition."

  
"Of course you can," Cooper continued in the same level voice, "But in order to return to work, you will be evaluated by another psychologist"

  
But Liz didn't give up, and now she turned her gaze to Red, who was clearly pleased with what he'd heard from Cooper.  
"Why are you so happy?" she asked indignantly.

  
He looked into her eyes and lowered his voice.

  
"I know this isn't good news, but look at it this way, you haven't taken a vacation in how long? A year? " he waved his hand. "I know it's my fault, but this is a great opportunity for you to take a break from the Blacklist, criminals, shootings, chases and everything else! Think about it."

  
He smiled at her. At that moment, Liz thought he looked like a snake charmer. It was as if he was hypnotizing her, intending to make her do what he wanted. And he did a pretty good job of it.

  
Liz let out an exasperated sigh. She already knew that she had lost this fight. She turned to Cooper.

  
"Okay, but can I at least ask you to keep me posted? "

  
" Of course, " Cooper said simply.

  
"We brought your phone. I had to change the number, for security reasons."

  
Samar handed the phone to Liz.

  
"Now we have to go. Get well, Elizabeth, and as soon as you're ready, I'd like you to tell me what happened that night." Liz's mood sank even further. Now not only the police, but also the FBI wants to catch the man who shot her.

  
Samar came over and hugged her, whispering in her ear.

  
"I know how difficult this is, but you have to help us find him."

  
"I know. And I will."

  
"Get well."

  
" Thank you."

  
He and Cooper walked out the door. Red walked over to her and kissed her temple.

  
"Lizzie, I need to leave for a few hours, but I'll be back this evening. Good? "

  
" Good."

  
He picked up his jacket and walked out the door. Liz was surprised by the kiss. Rarely did Red allow himself such gestures of affection, only when he was really worried about her. But to be honest, Liz liked it. It felt so different, like he felt something for her. Something she couldn't understand yet.

******************************

While Red was away, Liz had already been examined by a doctor and the results of her tests came back. The doctor said that he did not see any threat to her health. Of course, he would have to wait until the stitches could be removed, but he had removed the bandage and now Liz could use her other arm. Although she won't be able to lift anything heavier than a cup with her left hand for the next month, if she faithfully does physical therapy and takes medication, it won't take long to recover.  
Physical recovery was already underway, but there could be problems with psychological recovery. Liz knew that her killer was still out there. What if he came to finish the job? She didn't know where he was or what he was up to. Has he already left the area and fled to an unknown destination? Will they ever be able to find him? And the main question that tormented her all this time Why did he do it?  
From all these thoughts, she was distracted by a nurse who came into the room with a vase in which there was a large bouquet of white roses and put it on the nightstand next to the bed. Liz looked at her in surprise.

  
"Who is it from?"

  
"I don't know, the courier left this for you"

  
She left the room, and Liz looked at the beautiful bouquet and found a note. She pulled it out, smiling. Apparently Red decided to show off with flowers. But when she turned the card over and began to read, the smile faded from her face.

_**“I promised to buy you another bouquet, Elizabeth. I always keep what I promise. See you soon."** _

  
The note fell from her trembling hands, and Liz felt as if she was beginning to choke. Ryan knew where she was. And he wanted to finish what he started.


End file.
